REPORT ON ANTI-GAY “LOVE MARCH” FOR “SEXUAL PURITY”

Introduction

Yesterday, September 15, 2012, AGFC attended the “Love March” for “sexual purity” which took place in Kingston starting at Hope Gardens and ending at Half-Way Tree Mandela Park. We are proud to say we were the only ones from the LGBT community there trying to get information and pictures and as such we walked through the sun for hours, sweated like pigs, endured the pain, hunger and dehydration in order to get everyone the story about the march.

For those who don’t know, the “Love March” is a march organised by a couple of anti-gay Christian groups who claim they are fed up with “sexual immorality” in Jamaican society and want to speak out against it. The march was designed for HOMOSEXUALITY, pornography and fornication, what they call “sexual sins” that are taking over Jamaica.

Of course, AGFC has been in the business of anti-gay research for quite some time now so we aren’t that stupid as they think we are. We know the march was really a march against homosexuality and opposition to pornography and fornication, two things they have minority support on, were just thrown in to make the march seem balanced. Below is a poster designed by the march organisers to tell everyone what they were marching for (notice all the reasons include homosexuality):

(CLICK ON ALL PICTURES TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THEM)

The march organisers specifically told the marchers, as you can see below from their Facebook page, to not make the march look like one about homosexuality by saying that they should cover it up as a march for “sexual purity” and to say “we love homosexuals” every time homosexuality is mentioned.

The march was organised by two popular young Christian activists. The picture on the left is Kacy West, daughter of popular anti-gay activists Dr. Wayne West, and Daniel Thomas and his significant other who was also close to him in the march. Daniel Thomas was the leader of the march as he stayed on top of the truck that was leading the participants, shouting, preaching,praying and chanting on the mike about gays, porn and babymothers.

Hope Gardens

The march was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. but didn’t start until after 11:00 a.m. Of course, AGFC had to be there before everyone else. We stood up watching the “sexual purists” walking in, proudly wearing white shirts that symbolised their “purity”. The Jamaica Observer of course had to be there as well as the Gleaner to cover the story. However, because no story has been reported about the march we assume it wasn’t newsworthy.

As is usually the case in Jamaica, everything starts way after the scheduled time. We had to wait until enough “sexually purified” persons were under the tree in order to start the church service and the march. They began setting up the truck to lead the march and to gather their signs, some of which read “Out of many one people UNDER GOD” and “To our leaders great defender grant true wisdom from above”. These were probably to push the notion that Jamaica is a “Christian country” and non-Christians along with the “sexually impure” are not part of this nation.

Sea of “sexual purists” on the left and “sexual purity” truck on the right

After we waited, the church service began at 10:05 a.m. The started to sing “Hosanna Jesus is the rock of my salvation” which was followed with a prayer and the national anthem at 10:19 a.m. At 10:20.a.m. the sermon started with Daniel Thomas speaking. AGFC of course, had to be there to listen. As we went closer we heard him talking about the “dangers of gay sex that spreads HIV” as a reason for why they are marching and telling the rest of proud “sexual purists” that the HIV prevalence rate for homosexuals in Jamaica is 32% and that 25% of homosexual men also sleep with women. A girl who sounded like Kacy (we didn’t get to see who it was) said that the buggery law does not discriminate and that it makes society “healthy”. Gay sex was compared to “man on dog” sex and the buggery law was declared to be “important”. Daniel again took the mike and began to talk about a anti-gay Christian activist in Canada who was fined $10,000 Canadian dollars for speaking about the “homosexual lifestyle”. The buggery law was declared necessary to protect freedom of speech and religion and if it is removed these rights would be in jeopardy.

A petition was also present which marchers were expected to sign afterwards. Daniel emphasised that the petition declared that a referendum for the buggery law was needed and that the laws on buggery in the charter should not be changed. The organisers drilled it into the heads of the marchers again that they wre not condemning gays or hating them but for “love of God and everybody”. The sermon ended with a prayer for “sexual purity”. At 11:06, we started to move onto Old Hope Road.

The march

Marching along Old Hope Road

We started to walk out of the gates of Hope Gardens onto the main road where we had to turn into the peaceful community of Mona Heights because they were not allowed to pass King’s House or the American Embassy. Daniel and his significant other, Grace-Ann Collins, were present on the truck and started to read scriptures about pornography and why it was “evil”. They claimed that Jamaicans watched the second highest amount of pornography per capita in the world. These were some of the signs we saw:

Even this innocent child was given a placard to join in the protest against the “sexually impure”.

As we turned unto Mona Road we could hear persons “getting into spirit” and behaving in a sanctimonious manner. Here, they declared there were having a “spiritual warfare” against pornography. They claimed the media is biased and twists their words. The topic changed to the evils of fornication for a short while until it turned to homosexuality. The prayer against homosexuality started at 11:47 a.m. The “demon of homosexuality” was spoken of and homosexuality was said to be poisonous.

We walked through Mona Heights until we ended up on Old Hope Road again. While we were there we took these pictures:

Daniel Thomas preaching from the truck. His shirt read “I used to be a porn addict” while his significant other, Grace-Ann Collins, stood beside him in the yellow blouse.

The “sexual purists” hired an ambulance to drive behind the crowd:

As we walked, proudly disturbing the residents of Mona Heights with our condemnation of “sexual impurity”, the young man below approached us and asked if we approved of the march. Of course, we said we had no comment but he stayed for a few minutes to preach to us to tell us about Jesus. We listened and then he went on his way.

As we marched the speech about sexual impurity and the homosexuals continued. The LGBT movement was said to be “oppression” and popular actor , Shebada, was declared to be used to brainwash Jamaicans into accepting the “homosexual lifestyle” . Daniel then shouted over the mike that all Jamaicans who didn’t like sexual purity or wanted to be governed by a nation under God should “leave the country”.

As we marched further a nice young lady who claimed she is an “ex-fornicator” approached us and asked what we were doing. We told her and then she asked if we were Christians. We said “no” as AGFC is politically and religiously neutral but she stayed anyway to tell us about how great Jesus is. She claimed that she was suicidal once and just as she was about to cut her neck with the kitchen knife, Jesus appeared to her and stopped her. She helped us to shield from the sun and went on to tell us about when she went to Africa to do ministry and ended up catching a virus which caused her to now have Irritable Bowel Sydrome (IBS). She was so nice she allowed us to take her picture.

We marched further into Mona Heights.

We walked behind a minibus in the crowd which said “Keep the buggery law. If you touch it you will lose it”. This is a quote from popular anti-gay activist Ms. Shirley Richards where she says that if the government touches the buggery law it could be overturned judicially. We discussed this in our post “The Dirty Secret of the Anti-gay Movement in Jamaica” as why she wants it to not be touched. You will be surprised at the consequences of this.

We marched down Old Hope Road where even a struggling disabled “sexual purist” was determined to show his “sexual purity”. We had to help him with some water:

As we walked slowly we ended up passing the Chinese embassy and eventually came out on Lady Musgrave Road. Here we stopped and were told to pray for the buggery law to be kept. The crowd shouted “KEEP THE BUGGERY LAW!!!! KEEP THE BUGGERY LAW!!!! MRS. SIMPSON-MILLER KEEP THE BUGGERY LAW!!!”. This shouting was done to allow Prime Minister ,Portia Simpson-Miller, to hear their cries as Vale Royal, her official residence, was nearby. As the crowd passed behind the road of one of the nation’s pro-LGBT organisations the shouting continued. The crowd then began to pray against Obama and David Cameron who were out to “destroy the country”. They claimed secret meeting were being held in order to “desensitise” Jamaicans and that the LGBT movement was out to persecute Christians as they claim had been done in other countries. Daniel claimed that the “minority won’t have their own way” and asked God to “keep us free from evil powers” in reference to the “evil homosexual agenda”. People in cars beside the march cheered on in agreement.

We moved on into New Kingston onto Trafalgar Road where we took these pictures:

Daniel eventually said that we were marching through New Kingston because that was where the homosexuals had their gay clubs and where the prostitutes were. He claimed that Christians were beaten by gays in America and would happen here if the law is repealed. “No conscience vote” was his chant and he said that we must “Keep the buggery law! A suh it a go go!”. He also claimed money was behind the LGBT agenda and he thanked the Ministry of Education for removing the Health and Family Life book from the schools. Christian Dancehall started to play as we passed the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) and the “sexual purists” broke out in dance.

We continued to march down Trafalgar because we were close to gay clubs. The marchers were told to “tear down the enemy” and claimed that foreign forces were colonising Jamaica and were “imperialists”. Daniel claimed that we must “free homosexuals from their bondage” and “refuse to make sin legal”.

Since New Kingston is empty on weekends a few ancillary staff members were present in the buildings. They came out to hear and listen to the march but some men disagreed with the condemnation of fornication. The “sexual purists” passed all the homeless people along the way like this man below and didn’t turn to help them. We managed to help feed a hungry teenage boy, however, when we were in Burger King trying to rehydrate ourselves and relieve our hunger.

The Christian “sexual purists” ignored the needy. Focused instead on locking up gays in prison where they can have more gay sex.

We continued to march pass Knutsford Boulevard, down onto Trafalgar Road where Daniel claimed his friend told him that men in New York can freely walk hand in hand. Shebada again was claimed to be a tool to desensitise the population into accepting homosexuality. We were told to “tear down establishments of sin”. Some passers-by accused them of being homophobes but they quickly denounced the notion that they were.

Popular anti-gay activist, Shirley Richards, walked up as we passed the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, in a green polo shirt, black skirt and sneakers. Strangely, she walked in a very masculine manner. Here she is:

Shirley feeling “proud”

Had enough “pride” yet Shirley?

Daniel read more scriptures against homosexuality as we walked towards Half-Way Tree. Daniel declared that it was possible to be “ex-gay”. Condoms were also declared to ‘not be the answer” and that people must get married. They again claimed they spoke in “love” because they don’t want people to die.

As we reached Half-Way Tree, commuters and vendors looked on in bewilderment. Some people thought the march was a march for Jesus and didn’t realise it was an anti-gay march. Some taxi-men didn’t understand what the buggery law was. However, the marchers were proud and stopped right in front of the restaurant “Chicken and Tings” so we could take their photograph. Kacy West, who we spoke of earlier, was there and stood up and smiled so we could see her.

Daniel proudly declared that condoms were “not the answer” before they moved in Mandela Park for their concert, which only they attended, and testimonials of people who were “freed” from “sexual sin”.

We then went to eat as we were tired from the long walk and dehydrated from sweating in the boiling hot sun. We saw popular so-called “ex-gay” Craig McNally, in attendance at the concert and everyone was told to sign the petition to the Prime Minister. Though Jesus was “watching over them”, it began to rain in the middle of the concert.

Anti-gay petition to the Prime Minister

The petition reads:

Petition to the Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

WHEREAS we are deeply concerned at the lack of stable family life in Jamaica

AND WHEREAS we are deeply concerned about the general immorality in our society with our 80% of children born out of wedlock

AND WHEREAS it is documented that the breakdown in family is the cause of other societal ills

AND WHEREAS we are also concerned about the moral depravity of the homosexual lifestyle and also that the social and health risks of the homosexual lifestyle are being overlooked.

AND WHEREAS we are deeply concerned of local and international pressure on Jamaica to normalise the homosexual lifestyle and in particular to change laws relating to buggery.

AND WHEREAS these laws provide guidance for us as a nation

AND WHEREAS we are deeply concerned for the future of Jamaica’s children

We now seek, ask and petition for the following:

1) That the government implements family friendly laws and policies that encourage and reward families.

2) That the buggery law section 76-79 Offences Against the Persons Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that protect this law not be changed and that the people of Jamaica be allowed to participate by way of referendum in any proposed revision of these laws.

We seek the commitment of the Government of Jamaica land we love to the high and enlightened ideals contained in this petition. We are convinced that under God Jamaica can find courage to lead the way internationally in standing for the integrity of the family.

We pray that both your most Honourable self and the Honourable Parliament will do that which will improve the common good of society as a whole.

Our two cents

Overall, we think the march was ineffective. It happened on a Saturday morning when many people are not on the streets or at work. Mandela park was empty as most people were focused on going into taxis and taxi-men were focused on loading them. The condemnation of fornication and pornography, two Jamaican past-times, turned off some people and also the crowd was too small and full of young people. Under 100 people were in the crowd marching. Anti-gay marches have not been proven to be useful as many happen abroad and more people continue to accept or tolerate homosexuality. The LGBT rights movement is a process though and Jamaica was overdue an anti-gay march.

The LGBT movement shouldn’t be alarmed by the march or feel too upset about it. In fact, AGFC thinks it was a good thing for a couple of reasons:

1) It show how obsessed “The Church” is about homosexuality while being silent on other issues. People will lose their trust in this institution and view them as irrelevant.

2) It shows that the LGBT movement is becoming a potent force and is no longer insignificant. Backlash from Christian groups will always happen and when it usually does it’s because they feel they are losing their monopoly on government. Its desperation not arrogance. In their cry for help they came up with their plan, “Compassion without compromise”, which is another way of saying we will win over the homosexuals by being nice to them.

3) The international community will once again put its attention on Jamaica and discussion about homosexuality will take centre stage. Can’t have change without discussion.

4) While the anti-gay Christians continue to waste time and use the religious argument, which has been proven to not work for their agenda anywhere, the LGBT movement can keep them busy and continue to move forward as has happened in other coutries.

Hello I trust all is well with you. I know you may not see it but we do love you guys. The fact that we oppose your lifestyle doesn’t mean we are against you as a person. Homosexuality is a sin and sin destroys, whether you want to accept it or not. The march wasn’t necessarily meant to throw fire and brimstone but to say “hey God has a better plan for your life and we want to stir you away from this road of destruction because we care for you!” It was also against ALL sexual sin. If you saw someone who you care about cutting themselves habitually (a habit of many) would you just sit down and say “oh he/she likes doing that and if he/she enjoys it, I am happy because I love him/her!” I am sure being the proactive person that you are, you would intervene in some way. It’s the same thing, you can’t see it now (1 Cor 1:18), but we doing this because we love you. Btw I thought the march was VERY effective, any work done for Christ is not in vain (1 Cor 15:58, Gal 6:9). I believe seeds were planted and Jamaica saw that there were Christians who are not afraid to stand up for righteousness and purity. You saw persons who have been freed from the sin that had them ensnared. Anyway I wish you all the best and I will keep you in my prayers…I really do care! 😦 God bless you!

If you really care as much as you say you do, then you need to first learn about LGBT people and try to discourage homophobia. Likening LGBT people to those who cut themselves show how deeply misinformed you are.

It is deeply saddening that “Christians” continue to use their religion like a beating stick. If that is the purpose of religion you can stick it. I am a proud homosexual and I live a perfectly normal loving life and if you cannot tolerate that, then you are the one living in Hell not me because I don’t have to leave my house to March against you. YOU don’t matter in my life. It is kind of weird that I do in yours to such an extent and with such hate in your Heart. Check yourself before you wreck yourself and others.

The comments made by the gays convince me that they are irrational in their thoughts. I believe that they behave this way because they want to continue indulging in their sinful act. They do not know the bible or want to know it at all because they fear the truth.